The calm after the sturm and drang

We really weren't planning on anything resulting from this showing, since they were originally coming to the neighborhood to view the house down the street--a house that is very different from ours and in a higher price bracket. We just saw it as a good opportunity to get the house ready and sharpen our showing skills.

So when I contacted our realtor the next day to schedule the photographer and plan our actual list date, we were a little surprised when she suggested we hold off since an offer was coming. And then when she emailed the next day with the actual offer, we were even more shocked. And then when she came by the house that evening with the best offer we could possibly want, all written out in paper, well, we were floored.

"Take a photo, it'll last longer" never rang so true as when it's photos of your house and you have 4 kid.

Personally, I was a little apprehensive. Things were moving a bit too fast for my slow, methodical personality. I mean, we had signed up for the whole deal. I had a plan, and that plan was suddenly stopped in its tracks. Call it the middle-child in me, but it just didn't seem fair that we'd never actually list the house and give the rest of the world a chance to see our sweet abode. So my first thought was to stall.

But then the realtor handed me a letter from the potential buyers and I melted. A letter! As in, my love language!! We learned about the couple and their daughter, and they life they envisioned for their kids growing up in our house and neighborhood. They talked about their vision of a "dream home" and how our house had met all their criteria. They mentioned our "joyfully functional" kitchen and pointed out so many things about our house that I love but was afraid no one would notice. And then they asked where we got our dining room table. Done. Sold!

We signed the paperwork, listed the house that night as a formality, and then were under contract the next day. Craziness.

And that's it. Now we just sit and chill until June. And by "chill," I mean downsize and pack up for an overseas move.

I'm having a bit of a harder time than I imagined. We bought this house knowing it was just temporary. We made updates with future owners in mind. We're moving to Hawaii for goodness sake! And yet, you just don't spend half your marriage and raise 4 babies in a home without getting a little nostalgic. There seems to be a precious memory lurking in every nook and cranny, and I can't turn my head without acknowledging them.

So for now, we're just going to finish out these final 3 months of homeownership strong, and keep on making memories in our favorite dwelling. Jon is still mulching the gardens, even though the house came under contract without mulch. The kids are still working on building a city in their sand pit and fixing the stick fort that the blizzard took out. And I'm watching spring arrive a bit more intensely than usual, because I've never noticed its presence more poignantly than I have in this place.

They never want to play in the ACTUAL sandbox.

This has been a good, good home. I continue to be thankful for the way that God led us here. And now I marvel at the way He's leading us onward and answering our prayers beyond what we could have imagined. I can't wait to see how He provides in this next move!